The present invention relates generally to the fields of immunology and vaccine technology. The present invention also relates to techniques of skin-targeted non-invasive gene delivery to elicit immune responses and uses thereof. The invention further relates to methods of non-invasive genetic immunization in an animal and/or methods of inducing an immunological, e.g., systemic immune response or a therapeutic, e.g., a systemic therapeutic response, in an animal, products therefrom and uses for the methods and products therefrom. The invention yet further relates to such methods comprising contacting skin of the animal with a vector in an amount effective to induce the response, e.g., systemic immune response, in the animal. Even further, the invention relates to such methods wherein the vector comprises and express an exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an epitope or gene product of interest, e.g., an antigen or therapeutic. Still further, the invention relates to such methods wherein the response, e.g., systemic immune or therapeutic response, can be to or from the epitope or gene product.
The invention yet further still relates to such methods wherein the nucleic acid molecule can encode an epitope of interest and/or an antigen of interest and/or a nucleic acid molecule that stimulates and/or modulates an immunological response and/or stimulates and/or modulates expression, e.g., transcription and/or translation, such as transcription and/or translation of an endogenous and/or exogenous nucleic acid molecule. The invention additionally relates to such methods wherein the nucleic acid molecule can be exogenous to the vector. The invention also relates to such methods wherein the exogenous nucleic acid molecule encodes one or more of an antigen or portion thereof, e.g., one or more of an epitope of interest from a pathogen, e.g., an epitope, antigen or gene product which modifies allergic response, an epitope antigen or gene product which modifies physiological function, influenza hemagglutinin, influenza nuclear protein, influenza M2, tetanus toxin C-fragment, anthrax protective antigen, anthrax lethal factor, rabies glycoprotein, HBV surface antigen, HIV gp 120, HIV gp 160, human carcinoembryonic antigen, malaria CSP, malaria SSP, malaria MSP, malaria pfg, and mycobacterium tuberculosis HSP; and/or a therapeutic or an immunomodulatory gene, a co-stimulatory gene and/or a cytokine gene.
Even further, the invention relates to such methods wherein the immune response can be induced by the vector expressing the nucleic acid molecule in the animal""s cells, e.g., epidermal cells. The invention still further relates to such methods wherein the immune response can be against a pathogen or a neoplasm.
Also, the invention relates to compositions used in the methods. For instance, the invention relates to a prophylactic vaccine or a therapeutic vaccine or an immunological composition comprising the vector.
The invention additionally relates to such methods and compositions therefor wherein the animal can be a vertebrate, e.g., a fish, bird, reptile, amphibian or mammal, advantageously a or game or racing or sport animal, for instance, a cow, a horse, a dog, a cat, a goat, a sheep or a pig, or fowl such as chickens, duck, turkey.
The invention further relates to such methods and compositions therefor wherein the vector can be one or more of a viral, including viral coat, e.g., with some or all viral genes deleted therefrom, bacterial, protozoan, transposon, retrotransposon, and DNA vector, e.g., a recombinant vector; an adenovirus, such as an adenovirus defective in its E1 and/or E4 region(s).
The invention further relates to intranasal administration of adenovirus defective in its E1 and/or E4 region(s), advantageously defective in its E1 and E3 and E4 regions, e.g., such an adenovirus comprising an exogenous or heterologous nucleic acid molecule, such as an exogenous or heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding an epitope of interest of an influenza, e.g., one or more influenza epitiopes of interest and/or one or more influenza antigens. Such an administration can be a method to induce an immunological response, such as a protective immunological response. The adenovirus in this instance can be a human adenovirus. The adenovirus can be another type of adenovirus, such as a canine adenovirus. Thus, if the host or animal is other than a human, the adenovirus can be matched to the host; for example, in veterinary applications wherein the host or animal is a canine such as a dog, the adenovirus can be a canine adenovirus.
The invention accordingly further relates to methods of the invention wherein the vector can be matched to the host or can be a vector that is interesting to employ with respect to the host or animal because the vector can express both heterologous or exogenous and homologous gene products of interest in the animal; for instance, in veterinary applications, it can be useful to use a vector pertinent to the animal, for example, in canines one may use canine adenovirus; or more generally, the vector can be an attenuated or inactivated pathogen of the host or animal upon which the method is being performed.
The invention still further relates to such methods encompassing applying a delivery device including the vector to the skin of the animal, as well as such a method further including disposing the vector in and/or on the delivery device; and, to such delivery devices.
The invention yet further relates to such methods wherein the vector can have all viral genes deleted therefrom, as well as to such vectors.
The invention even further still relates to such methods wherein the vector can induce an anti-tumor effect in the animal, e.g., by expressing an oncogene, a tumor-suppressor gene, or a tumor-associated gene.
In addition, the invention relates to immunological products generated by the expression, cells from the methods, and the expression products, as well as in vitro and ex vivo uses thereof.
Activation of the immune system of vertebrates is an important mechanism for protecting animals against pathogens and malignant tumors. The immune system consists of many interacting components including the humoral and cellular branches. Humoral immunity involves antibodies that directly bind to antigens. Antibody molecules as the effectors of humoral immunity are secreted by B lymphocytes. Cellular immunity involves specialized cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) which recognize and kill other cells which produce non-self antigens. CTLs respond to degraded peptide fragments that appear on the surface of the target cell bound to MHC (major histocompatibility complex) class I molecules. It is understood that proteins produced within the cell are continually degraded to peptides as part of cellular metabolism. These fragments are bound to the MHC molecules and are transported to the cell surface. Thus the cellular immune system is constantly monitoring the spectra of proteins produced in all cells in the body and is poised to eliminate any cells producing non-self antigens.
Vaccination is the process of priming an animal for responding to an antigen. The antigen can be administered as a protein (classical) or as a gene which then expresses the antigen (genetic immunization). The process involves T and B lymphocytes, other types of lymphoid cells, as well as specialized antigen presenting cells (APCs) which can process the antigen and display it in a form which can activate the immune system. Current modes for the administration of genetic vaccines has focused on invasive procedures including needle injections, scarification, and gene gun-mediated penetration. Inoculation of vaccines in an invasive mode requires equipment and personnel with special medical training, and is usually associated with discomfort and potential hazards (bleeding, infection).
The efficacy of a vaccine is measured by the extent of protection against a later challenge by a tumor or a pathogen. Effective vaccines are immunogens that can induce high titer and long-lasting protective immunity for targeted intervention against diseases after a minimum number of inoculations. For example, genetic immunization is an approach to elicit immune responses against specific proteins by expressing genes encoding the proteins in an animal""s own cells. The substantial antigen amplification and immune stimulation resulting from prolonged antigen presentation in vivo can induce a solid immunity against the antigen. Genetic immunization simplifies the vaccination protocol to produce immune responses against particular proteins because the often difficult steps of protein purification and combination with adjuvant, both routinely required for vaccine development, are eliminated. Since genetic immunization does not require the isolation of proteins, it is especially valuable for proteins that may lose conformational epitopes when purified biochemically. Genetic vaccines may also be delivered in combination without eliciting interference or affecting efficacy (Tang et al., 1992; Barry et al., 1995), which may simplify the vaccination scheme against multiple antigens.
While topically-applied protein-based vaccines have been studied, their usefulness may be limited. Although topical application of protein-based vaccines in conjunction with cholera toxin may also immunize animals in a non-invasive mode (Glenn et al., 1998), skin-targeted non-invasive genetic vaccines as in the present invention activate the immune system via a different mechanism than protein-based vaccines. Further, the efficacy of genetic vaccines is in general superior to that of protein vaccines due to the de novo synthesis of antigens similar to natural infections (McDonnell and Askari, 1996). Although U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,340 relates to a method for vaccinating animals by contacting skin with dried viruses, the viruses that are employed therein are not genetic vectors capable of expressing transgenes or heterologous or exogenous nucleic acid molecules. In addition, the immunogen may be protein in the viral coat, instead of protein produced from expression of viral genes in the animals"" own cells, e.g., any immunological response induced by U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,340 can be akin to that which is induced by topical application of protein-based vaccines which are non-analogous to the present invention and ergo U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,340 is non-analogous to the present invention.
The prior art of vaccination usually requires equipment, e.g., syringe needles or a gene gun, and special skill for the administration of vaccines. There is a great need and desire in the art for the inoculation of vaccines by personnel without medical training and equipment. A large number of diseases could potentially be immunized against through the development of non-invasive vaccination onto the skin (NIVS) because the procedure is simple, effective, economical, painless, and potentially safe. As a consequence, NIVS may boost vaccine coverages in developing countries where medical resources are in short supply, as well as in developed countries due to patient comfort. Infectious diseases caused by viruses, including AIDS and flu, by bacteria, including tetanus and TB, and by parasites, including malaria, and malignant tumors including a wide variety of cancer types may all be prevented or treated with skin-targeted non-invasive vaccines without requiring special equipment and medical personnel. The present invention addresses this longstanding need and desire in the art.
Non-invasive vaccination onto the skin (NIVS) can improve vaccination schemes because skin is an immunocompetent tissue and this non-invasive procedure requires no specially trained personnel. Skin-targeted non-invasive gene delivery can achieve localized transgene expression in the skin and the elicitation of immune responses (Tang et al., 1997) and the mechanism for these responses is different than that from topical application of protein-based vaccines in conjunction with cholera toxin (Glenn et al., 1998). These results indicate that vector-based NIVS is a novel and efficient method for the delivery of vaccines. The simple, effective, economical and painless immunization protocol of the present invention should make vaccination less dependent upon medical resources and, therefore, increase the annual utilization rate of vaccinations.
Accordingly, an object of the invention can be any one or more of: providing a method for inducing an immunological response, e.g., protective immunological response, and/or a therapeutic response in a host or animal, e.g., vertebrate such as mammal, comprising topically administering a vector that comprises and expresses a nucleic acid molecule encoding a gene product that induces or stimulates the response; such a method wherein the nucleic acid molecule is heterologous and/or exogenous with respect to the host; intranasal administration of adenovirus defective in its E1 and/or E3 and/or E4 region(s), advantageously defective in its E1 and E3 and E4 regions, e.g., such an adenovirus comprising an exogenous or heterologous nucleic acid molecule, such as an exogenous or heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding an epitope of interest of an influenza, e.g., one or more influenza epitiopes of interest and/or one or more influenza antigens; such an administration wherein an immunological response, such as a protective immunological response is induced; products for performing such methods; products from performing such methods; uses for such methods and products, inter alia.
The present invention provides a method of non-invasive genetic immunization in an animal, comprising the step of: contacting skin of the animal with a genetic vector in an amount effective to induce immune response in the animal. The invention also provides a method for immunizing animals comprising the step of skin-targeted non-invasive delivery of a preparation comprising genetic vectors, whereby the vector is taken up by epidermal cells and has an immunogenic effect on vertebrates. The invention further provides a method for immunizing animals by a delivery device, comprising the steps of including genetic vectors in the delivery device and contacting the naked skin of a vertebrate with a uniform dose of genetic material confined within the device, whereby the vector is taken up by epidermal cells for expressing a specific antigen in the immunocompetent skin tissue. The genetic vector may be adenovirus recombinants, DNA/adenovirus complexes, DNA/liposome complexes, or any other genetic vectors capable of expressing antigens in the skin of a vertebrate.
In an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of inducing an immune response, comprising the step of: contacting skin of an individual or animal in need of such treatment by topically applying to said skin an immunologically effective concentration of a genetic vector encoding a gene of interest.
In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of inducing a protective immune response in an individual or animal in need of such treatment, comprising the step of: contacting the skin of said animal by topically applying to said skin an immunologically effective concentration of a vector encoding a gene which encodes an antigen which induces a protective immune effect in said individual or animal following administration.
In another embodiment, the invention presents a method for co-expressing transgenes in the same cell by contacting naked skin with DNA/adenovirus complexes. This protocol may allow the manipulation of the immune system by co-producing cytokines, costimulatory molecules, or other immune modulators with antigens within the same cellular environment.
The invention thus provides methods of non-invasive genetic immunization in an animal and/or methods of inducing an immune, e.g., systemic immune, or therapeutic response in an animal, products therefrom and uses for the methods and products therefrom. The invention further provides such methods comprising contacting skin of the animal with a vector in an amount effective to induce the response, e.g., immune response such as systemic immune response or therapeutic response, in the animal. Even further, the invention provides such methods wherein the vector comprises and express an exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an epitope or gene product of interest. Still further, the invention provides such methods wherein the systemic immune response can be to or from the epitope or gene product.
The invention yet further still provides such methods wherein the nucleic acid molecule can encode an epitope of interest and/or an antigen of interest and/or a nucleic acid molecule that stimulates and/or modulates an immunological response and/or stimulates and/or modulates expression, e.g., transcription and/or translation, such as transcription and/or translation of an endogenous and/or exogenous nucleic acid molecule; and/or elicits a therapeutic response.
The invention additionally provides such methods wherein the nucleic acid molecule can be exogenous to the vector. The invention also provides such methods wherein the exogenous nucleic acid molecule encodes one or more of an antigen of interest or portion thereof, e.g., an epitope of interest, from a pathogen; for instance, one or more of an epitope of interest from or the antigen comprising influenza hemagglutinin, influenza nuclear protein, influenza M2, tetanus toxin C-fragment, anthrax protective antigen, anthrax lethal factor, rabies glycoprotein, HBV surface antigen, HIV gp 120, HIV gp 160, human carcinoembryonic antigen, malaria CSP, malaria SSP, malaria MSP, malaria pfg, and mycobacterium tuberculosis HSP; and/or a therapeutic and/or an immunomodulatory gene, such as a co-stimulatory gene and/or a cytokine gene. See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,990,091, WO 99/60164 and WO 98/00166 and documents cited therein.
Even further, the invention provides such methods wherein the immune response can be induced by the vector expressing the nucleic acid molecule in the animal""s cells, e.g., epidermal cells. The invention still further provides such methods wherein the immune response can be against a pathogen or a neoplasm.
Also, the invention provides compositions used in the methods. For instance, the invention provides a prophylactic vaccine or a therapeutic vaccine or an immunological or a therapeutic composition comprising the vector, e.g., for use in inducing or stimulating a response via topical application and/or via mucosal and/or nasal administration.
The invention additionally provides to such methods and compositions therefor wherein the animal can be a vertebrate, e.g., a fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, or mammal, such as human, or a domesticated or companion or feed-producing or food-producing or livestock or game or racing or sport animal such as a cow, a dog, a cat, a goat, a sheep, a horse, or a pig; or, fowl such as turkeys, ducks and chicken.
The invention further provides such methods and compositions therefor wherein the vector can be one or more of a viral, including viral coat, e.g., with some or all viral genes deleted therefrom, bacterial, protozoan, transposon, retrotransposon, and DNA vector, e.g., a recombinant vector; an adenovirus, such as an adenovirus defective in its E1 and/or E3 and/or E4 region(s).
The invention further provides intranasal and/or mucosal administration of adenovirus defective in its E1 and/or E3 and/or E4 region(s), advantageously defective in its E1 and E3 and/or E4 regions, e.g., such an adenovirus comprising an exogenous or heterologous nucleic acid molecule, such as an exogenous or heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding an epitope of interest of an influenza, e.g., one or more influenza epitiopes of interest and/or one or more influenza antigens. Such an administration can be a method to induce an immunological response, such as a protective immunological response. The adenovirus in this instance can be a human adenovirus. The adenovirus can be another type of adenovirus, such as a canine adenovirus. Thus, if the host or animal is other than a human, the adenovirus can be matched to the host; for example, in veterinary applications wherein the host or animal is a canine such as a dog, the adenovirus can be a canine adenovirus.
The invention accordingly further relates to methods of the invention wherein the vector can be matched to the host or can be a vector that is interesting to employ with respect to the host or animal because the vector can express both heterologous or exogenous and homologous gene products of interest in the animal; for instance, in veterinary applications, it can be useful to use a vector pertinent to the animal, for example, in canines one may use canine adenovirus; or more generally, the vector can be an attenuated or inactivated natural pathogen of the host or animal upon which the method is being performed. One skilled in the art, with the information in this disclosure and the knowledge in the art, can match a vector to a host or animal without undue experimentation.
The invention still further provides such methods encompassing applying a delivery device including the vector to the skin of the animal, as well as such a method further including disposing the vector in and/or on the delivery device; and, to such delivery devices.
The invention yet further provides such methods wherein the vector can have all viral genes deleted therefrom, as well as to such vectors.
The invention even further still provides such methods wherein the vector can induce a therapeutic effect, e.g., an anti-tumor effect in the animal, for instance, by expressing an on ogene, a tumor-suppressor gene, or a tumor-associated gene.
In addition, the invention provides gene products, e.g., expression products, as well as immunological products (e.g., antibodies), generated by the expression, cells from the methods, as well as in vitro and ex vivo uses thereof. The expression products and immunological products therefrom may be used in assays, diagnostics, and the like; and, cells that express the immunological products and/or the expression products can be isolated from the host, expanded in vitro and re-introduced into the host.
Even further still, while non-invasive delivery is desirable in all instances of administration, the invention can be used in conjunction with invasive deliveries; and, the invention can generally be used as part of a prime-boost regimen. For instance, the methods of the present invention can be used as part of a prime-boost regimen wherein the non-invasive inventive method is administered prior to or after or concurrently with another administration such as another non-invasive or an invasive administration of the same or a different immunological or therapeutic ingredient, e.g., before, during or after the non-invasive administration, there is administration by injection of a different vaccine or immunological composition for the same or similar pathogen such as a whole or subunit vaccine or immunological composition for the same or similar pathogen whose antigen or epitope of interest is expressed by the vector in the non-invasive administration.
The present invention also encompasses delivery devices (bandages, adhesive dressings, spot-on formulation and its application devices, pour-on formulation and its application devices, roll-on formulation and its application devices, shampoo formulation and its application devices or the like) for the delivery of skin-targeted and other non-invasive vaccines or immunological compositions and uses thereof, as well as compositions for the non-invasive delivery of vectors; and, kits for the preparation of compositions for the non-invasive delivery of vectors. Such a kit scan comprises the vector and a pharmaceutically acceptable or suitable carrier or diluent and an optional delivery device, each in its own packaging; the packaging may be included in a unitary container or the packaging may each be in separate containers or each may be its own separate container; the kit can optionally include instructions for admixture of the ingredients and/or administration of the composition.
Pour-on and spot-on formulations are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,010,710 and 5,475,005. A roll-on device is also described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,267. The contents of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,010,710, 5,475,005 and 5,897,267 are hereby incorporated herein by reference, together with documents cited or referenced therein and all documents cited or referenced in such documents. Moreover, a skilled artisan also knows make shampoo formulation as well as devices to apply the formulation to an animal.
Thus, the present invention also includes all genetic vectors for all of the uses contemplated in the methods described herein.
It is noted that in this disclosure, terms such as xe2x80x9ccomprisesxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9ccomprisedxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9ccomprisingxe2x80x9d and the like can have the meaning attributed to it in U.S. Patent law; e.g., they can mean xe2x80x9cincludesxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cincludedxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cincludingxe2x80x9d and the like.
These and other embodiments are disclosed or are obvious from and encompassed by, the following Detailed Description.